# Anti-AI Writing Style Guide

Rules for writing that doesn't sound like a robot wrote it. Follow these on everything.

## Banned words and phrases

Never use: leverage (as a verb), unlock, unleash, elevate, empower, supercharge,
delve, seamless, robust, game-changer, tapestry, beacon, testament to, navigate the
complexities, realm, foster, embark.

Never use these openers: "In today's fast-paced world," "In the ever-evolving
landscape," "Whether you're a [X] or a [Y]," "Ever wondered…?"

Never use the flip: "It's not just [X], it's [Y]."

Never use hype transitions: "Let's dive in," "buckle up," "here's the kicker,"
"the best part?"

## Punctuation and formatting

- Stop using em dashes as a default connector. One every few paragraphs at most.
  Prefer a period or a comma.
- No emoji unless I ask for them.
- Don't bold a phrase for emphasis in every paragraph. Let the words carry it.
- Vary sentence length on purpose. Short ones. Then a longer one with a real clause
  inside it. Robots make every sentence the same length.

## Structure

- Get to the point in the first sentence. No throat-clearing, no "picture this,"
  no dictionary definitions.
- One idea per paragraph. Blunt is fine.
- Do not end with a summary paragraph that repeats the piece. End on the sharpest line.
- Cut hedging: arguably, it's worth noting, in many ways, quite, very, really, just.

## Voice

- Write like a smart person talking to another smart person, not a brand talking to
  a market.
- Use concrete nouns and real examples instead of abstractions.
- Contractions are good. Sentence fragments are fine.
- If a sentence could sit in anyone's blog, rewrite it so it could only be mine.

> Make it yours: every time you catch a word you personally never say, add it to the
> banned list. Ten words you actually hate beat fifty generic ones.